Hairy Lip Service

by Jack Diablo
Don’t be surprised this November to see men all over town showing up to work with a little extra fuzz under their nose. No, it isn’t Tom Selleck appreciation month or a Dali look-alike contest, it’s Movember!
For the past few years, men all over the world have sought to “change the face of men’s health” by growing mustaches during the month of November as part of an international event called Movember. Mo is a slang term for the mustache used in Australia where the idea for the event was born less than a decade ago. A few ozzy bros were throwing back some cold ones back in 2003 when they got the wild idea to bring back the mustache in an effort to raise awareness about men’s health. Building off of all the attention they received just for growing facial hair and the conversations it generated, while taking inspiration from the ladies behind the pink ribbons and Save the TaTas stickers, they set their sites higher by raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. From there, it went global.
Last year Mo Bros and Sistas (the women who support their brethren) from every corner of the globe raised $42 million. This year they plan on topping that.
Locally, Sean Collins, the founder of the Jacksonville Beardsmith Society, is leading the charge to raise money and perhaps more importantly, awareness for prostate cancer research. The guys (and gals) of the Jacksonville Beardsmith Society will form Team MovemberJax and intend to raise money through a variety of events leading up to and during Movember. Team MovemberJax will also include the Mo Sistas of the Jacksonville Roller Girls who have pledged their support to the cause.
As it turns out, the first event planned is actually for the ladies, as Anomaly will host a Movember Craft Night where Emily will teach the Mo Sistas how to make mustaches of their own! For the boys there will be a showing of the Japanese rock ‘n roll zombie horror cult classic film, Wild Zero at the 5 Points Theatre on October 29. While the movie doesn’t have anything to do with mustaches or prostate health, Collins hopes people will show up to participate in the Rocky Horror-esque participation/drinking game and leave with some knowledge of Movember. All proceeds from ticket sales will be added to Team MovemberJax’s contribution.
Kicking off Movember, there will be a shaving party at Dos Gatos on November 1st where participants can receive a professional shave and meet other Mo Bros and Sistas. Movember and mustaches will be the theme of Art Walk thanks to the support of Downtown Vision, Inc. The Beardsmiths will host a mustache-themed art show at 229 Hogan, a bake sale at Snyder Memorial Church as well as an information booth in Hemming Plaza. Mo Bros will also appear en force at First Fridays in 5 Points and the Riverside Wine Festival.
Movember will conclude with an after party and awards ceremony on December 4th at the Loft in the King Street District where the best mustaches will receive their well-deserved glory. Even the Mo Sistas can enter the contest for best handmade mustache.
For as much fun as all of that is sure to be, the real purpose of the event is to collect donations for the cause. Those interested in participating should register at www.movember.com and join the Movember Jax Network or Team Jax Stache. Groups can even start teams of their own and still contribute to the overall Movember Jax effort by directing donors to their profile pages. For more information on Jacksonville events check out the brand new MovemberJax.com and follow @movemberjax on Twitter. You can also check out the Jacksonville Beardsmith Society at www.jaxbeard.com.